Brad Pitt’s top pick: ‘Jesse James’ defies box office odds

Brad Pitt’s top pick: ‘Jesse James’ defies box office odds – the film that he chooses as his favorite of his entire artistic career is also the one that had the biggest box office failure: ‘The Assassination of Jesse James.

By Megan Sauer

They ask Brad Pitt what is the best film of his filmography, and he chooses the biggest failure of his career: ‘The worst grossing I have ever made.’ Released in 2007, this Brad Pitt film failed to raise even half of the money invested in its production, and, even so, it is his favorite.

Brad Pitt, one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors, has left an indelible mark on the film industry with an extensive filmography that includes famous titles such as ‘Fight Club’ (1999) or ‘Seven’ (1995).

However, surprisingly, the film that he chooses as his favorite of his entire artistic career is also the one that had the biggest box office failure: ‘The Assassination of Jesse James.

This dramatic western featured a luxury cast that included Casey Affleck, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor for ‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016), and Sam Rockwell, winner of the statuette in the category of Best Supporting Actor for ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2018), and Jeremy Renner, famous for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film’s production costs amounted to around $30 million, but it barely managed to raise just over $15 million at the international box office.

The question that arises is, how is it possible that this film has failed to captivate the masses in the same way that it captivated the actor?

Brad Pitt himself gave his point of view about this paradox in an interview for GQ Style in May 2017: “I would say that acting is still more exciting in terms of comedy, where you are taking risks. I can achieve success again and again, and ‘Just… my favorite movie is the lowest-grossing movie I’ve ever done, ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.’ If I think something is worthy, then I know it will be worthy in the future.”

The film was produced by Plan B Entertainment, of which Brad Pitt is the sole owner. The plot revolves around the famous outlaw of the American West Jesse James and his relationship with the young Robert Ford, who eventually becomes his murderer.

Andrew Dominik‘s approach to a darker, existentialist aesthetic was guided by the work of acclaimed director Terrence Malik.

The complexity of the characters and the detailed narrative, in addition to the striking cinematography of Roger Deakins who knew how to take advantage of the wonderful natural environments of Alberta reflected in the film’s exteriors, give it a depth that makes it a cinematic gem despite because its poor reception at the box office did not reflect its quality.

In this case, Brad Pitt‘s personal connection with the film goes beyond profits and focuses on the conviction that artistic quality takes precedence over commercial success.

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ stands as confirmation of the commitment that the actor and producer have with those film projects that move away from Hollywood conventions and seek artistic excellence, even at the cost of less favorable financial results.